Anywhere in the world: where should I go?

[freedc]

Hey, scubaboard, where should I go?

Turning 50, want to treat myself. Want to bring wife and kids. 13 year-old son dives. I have AOW, nitrox, drysuit, and wreck cards, w/about 80 dives. He has Jr. OW w/about 10. We get seasick easily so probably not a liveaboard. Wrecks are fine, but shallow, biodiverse reefs for snorkeling and long dives are my favorite. I'm thinking bucket list dives with acceptable surface accommodations for wife and younger daughter.

Any advice appreciated!

 

[scbaNE2179]

Hey, scubaboard, where should I go?

Turning 50, want to treat myself. Want to bring wife and kids. 13 year-old son dives. I have AOW, nitrox, drysuit, and wreck cards, w/about 80 dives. He has Jr. OW w/about 10. We get seasick easily so probably not a liveaboard. Wrecks are fine, but shallow, biodiverse reefs for snorkeling and long dives are my favorite. I'm thinking bucket list dives with acceptable surface accommodations for wife and younger daughter.

Any advice appreciated!

You get sea sick easily and not a livaboard-My understanding is that most livaboards are pretty big and less susceptible to feeling the boat rocking. I think you'll easily get seasick off a day boat than a massive yacht though? I've been on 10 livaboards and never have I felt anything green but that's just me.

If you're inuring about simple diving, I think some of the easiest diving is in the Bahamas. I've been there a few times most of the land-based sites there are shallow, around 20-40ft. Livaboards however, will offer combination shallow and deep sites though.

If you guys want to go big and ultimately decide on a livaboard, the Aquacat out of the Bahamas is a family friendly, good beginner dive livaboard. I've been on it twice and it offers the most options for divers and non-divers too. On my 2nd trip there was a couple from who were non-divers and the crew took them out for all kinds of water and land activities during every dive.

 

[BoltSnap]

I get seasick easily myself but it never stopped me from going on MANY Liveabord trips all over the world, so it isn't an issue (5-star type of boats however).

If you are looking for a place in the Caribbean, I'd say Curacao and Bonaire.

 

[Damselfish]

I agree that getting seasick easily is not necessarily a reason to avoid a liveaboard, a large boat may be easier to deal with than smaller dayboats. (Are you looking for boat or shore diving? Shore diving limits the options.)

OTOH, traveling with a non-diving wife and daughter is probably a reason to skip liveaboards.

Bonaire and Curacao are good places but I wouldn't consider them anything close to bucket list destinations. The world is a big place so hard to know what to suggest. Do you have a budget and length of trip in mind?

 

[KathyV]

I get seasick easily and I have had some pretty bad first nights on some (but not all) of the LOB trips we've done; I am more prone to get seasick if there is a deep-water crossing on the first night. The good news is that it eventually passes and I am okay for the rest of trip.

But since you are traveling with non-divers, a LOB would not be a great choice. I am not sure of your definition of a bucket list dive - but night diving with manta rays off Kona on the Big Island in Hawaii definitely holds a special spot in my log book! And Hawaii certainly offers lots of topside attractions for the whole family. And depending on the time of year that you decide to go you might be able to do some whale-watching, too.

I don't know where you usually dive, but Hawaii is different from Florida, the Bahamas, and Caribbean. You don't get all the soft corals and sponges, but you will see healthy hard corals and different types of fish and other sea life than you typically see in the Caribbean.

I have only visited the Big Island and Oahu a couple of times and I have only dived around Kona (on a LOB - but I didn't get sick), but there are other folks here on SB that have much more experience with Hawaiian diving and they can surely advise you about the best options for divers with a non-diving family.

Happy Birthday where ever you decide to go!

 

[Wingy]

French Polynesia - buy an inter island air pass and do the tuomotos for stellar truly world class diving and the societies for more diving and activities to suit a family.

 

[freedc]

Thanks. Very good replies. I don't consider myself a beginner and I feel confident in cold water, deep, and night diving, but also my passion is reefs which are usually shallow.

I have done a lot of dives in the Caribbean and have seen/done that, so was assuming bucket list would be South Pacific or maybe Red Sea. I did one dive trip on the GBR and it was amazing. That was 10 years ago. I'd say up to 2 weeks and as far as budget, just tell me where the pristine reefs are and I'll figure out if we can swing it.

 

[KathyV]

I don't know if this would be of interest, but it is a group that offers family dive vacations to various locations around the world throughout the year.

http://familydivers.com/

 

[BoltSnap]

Fiji might be a very good place for you especially now that they have a very new wreck there.



LOL

 

[KathyV]

Fiji might be a very good place for you especially now that they have a very new wreck there. LOL